MUA

MUA (Manipulation Under Anesthesia)

This procedure, manipulation under anesthesia (MUA), is a non-invasive procedure increasingly offered for acute and chronic conditions, including: neck pain, back pain, joint pain, muscle spasm, shortened muscles, fibrous adhesions and long term pain syndromes. It is generally considered safe and is utilized to treat pain arising from the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine as well as the sacroiliac and pelvic regions.

Manipulation under anesthesia uses a combination of specific short lever manipulations, passive stretches and specific articular and postural kinesthetic maneuvers in order to break up fibrous adhesions and scar tissue around the spine and surrounding tissue.

The manipulation procedures can be offered in any of the following ways:

Under general anesthesia

During mild sedation

Following the injection of anesthetic solutions into specific tissues of the spine.

Dr. McKeigan is certified to provide this treatment in a hospital or surgery center with other licensed physicians with specialized training and certification specifically for the procedure. A team approach is required to have a safe and successful outcome.

His team includes the anesthesiologist, the prime physician/surgeon/chiropractor who performs the manipulation, and the first assistant, also a physician/chiropractor certified in manipulation under anesthesia. The procedure is commonly performed in a hospital or surgical center.

The combination of manipulation and anesthesia is not new, as this treatment has been part of the manual medical arena for more than 60 years.

Which patients should be considered for manipulation under anesthesia?

Dr. McKeigan can provide MUA procedures to patients in the Cleveland area suffering from certain neck, mid back, low back or extremity conditions that have responded poorly to conventional care. One proposed theory for this is that, as a result of past or present injury, adhesions and scar tissue have built up around spinal joints and within the surrounding muscles and causes chronic pain.

Patients often undergo various treatments that do not address fibrous adhesions. Some patients feel temporarily better with these treatments, but their pain often returns.

In general, Dr. McKeigan selects patients for manipulation under anesthesia who have received conservative care for six to eight weeks. If limited or no improvements in symptoms or objective findings have occurred, then manipulation under anesthesia may be an appropriate alternative.

Prior to treatment, protocols of diagnostic testing should document the nature of the diagnosis, support the need for treatment and eliminate questions of psychosocial factors that can influence pain responses. In addition to X-rays, MRI scans or CT scans, a musculoskeletal sonogram or nerve conduction velocity test may be ordered.

For a consultation to see if you are a candidate for the MUA procedure call 216-342-9199